The Sweetest Emotion
by adriangel14
Summary: When Benny found his way into Chloe's bakery, she let him stay despite the empty backstory he gave her. When three new people walk in however, he owes her some explanations.
1. Chapter 1

I was nearly elbow-deep in gingerbread cookie dough when I heard the front door squeak open. It was way too early for Katie to be back from her delivery, and the bakery didn't open for another thirty minutes. Frowning, I scraped the cookie dough off me, best I could, before walking back to the front of the bakery. Mountain Brook was a pretty secure suburb in itself, but ever since Natalee Holloway disappeared, we have been even more cautious.

"Sorry to disturb you," The sexy southern drawl from the man's mouth sufficiently distracted me for a moment. He was taller than me, with dirty blonde hair, and piercing blue eyes. "Could I get a cup of coffee?"

"Sure," The agreement rolled off my tongue without a second thought, and I tilted my head towards the dining area. "Take a seat. I'll have some blueberry muffins out of the oven in about five minutes, would you like one?"

"Sure," He smiled at me. "Thank you darlin'."

I tried not to flush at the endearment (and the obviously missing 'g'), and nodded, going to the kitchen to pour a cup of coffee from the warm pot, and double check on the muffins. Katie would kill me when she walked in to find a stranger sitting in the bakery, but I couldn't help it. Something was drawing me to him, and he seemed harmless.

Carefully balancing the sugar and cream with the coffee, I brought it back out to the front where the table he had been seating at was empty. Frowning, I set the bowl and cup down before looking around.

"You did know that this window pane was broken, right?"

That Southern drawl was going to be the end of me, I decided, as I turned to see the man kneeling next to our front display window.

"You're losing heat here. I can fix it; got a hammer?" He asked.

"You have a name?"

"Benny," He introduced, "and thank you for the coffee."

That was how Benny became a pretty permanent fixture at the bakery. He fixed the leaking sink in the bathroom, and the crooked shelf in the stock room. He helped me do inventory, and then refused to let me pay him. Katie gave me hell when he first showed up, but he slowly grew on her too.

Benny had been here nearly two months when they came in for the first time. Two of the men were arguing like brothers, or lovers, I wasn't quite sure. The third and last man was wearing a long tan trench coat, and looked a little lost.

"You kept him a fucking secret." The taller man hissed.

"Like Ruby?"

"Oh fuck you, Dean. You lost the right to say anything after Amy."

I stood silently, waiting on the two to stop arguing, but the expression on the shorter man's face made me feel bad for both of them. Obviously they had some issues to work out.

"Sam, Dean," The third man's voice was stern, and the two stopped arguing and the shorter one sighed out loud, before smiling at me.

"Sorry about that." He had gorgeous green eyes and lips that would put some women to shame. "Could we get a table for three?"

"Sure, you can actually pick a table." I explained. "Would you like coffee?"

"Yes, please," They turned to leave, and the he stopped again looking back at me hopefully. "Would you happen to have pie?"

"We have a little mixed berry pie left over, would you like some?"

"Thank you," The shorter one grinned. "I'd love that."

There was a knock on the window and I groaned, leaning over to crack it.

"Shut up, Benny. Your coffee's coming," I called.

"Thanks Chloe," Benny called back. I brought coffee out to the three men at the table before fixing Benny's coffee cup and sitting on the counter. He'd come in a few minutes for the coffee. He always did. "Chloe, I fixed the-"

Benny stopped in mid-sentence and I frowned looking at the surprise on his face and the shorter man's.

"Benny," The shorter man stood, approaching Benny gingerly, before hugging him tightly. "How the hell are you?"

"Good," Benny hugged him back. "Looking good, Dean,"

I gave them a moment, grabbing coffee cups and the coffee pot before heading back to the diner. Benny had pulled up a chair to sit by Dean, and I set the cups down in front of the three men, pouring coffee in the cups.

"Chloe, this is Dean," Benny introduced, smiling at me before nodding at the other two men. "Sam and Castiel."

Sam looked pissed off at Benny already, and I assumed that Benny was who they were arguing about before. I was pretty sure that they were together, or had been together. Castiel, a strange name for a slightly strange man, was frowning at his coffee cup, before looking up at me. His eyes were a deep blue.

"Can I have some pie, also?" Castiel asked me, and I nodded.

"Sure, no problem." I left them alone to pull out the left-over pie. Benny never really spoke about anyone he knew before he got here. Occasionally, he'd fall into deep thought, and I just let him, assuming that he'd lost someone.

Grabbing the two plates of pie, I took them back into the bakery, watching Benny interact with Dean. Their shoulders were brushing as they spoke and Sam was sulking in the other chair. I set the pie on the table and winced when the glass clattered a little, interrupting the conversation. Benny glanced up at me, and smiled, grabbing my waist and pressing a messy kiss to my cheek, his mouth brushing my neck. "Chloe, here let me stay,"

I started to speak, and noticed Sam moving out of the corner of my eye. Frowning, I was trying to figure out what he was doing when I was suddenly being pushed into the counter, my head hitting the display case with a crack.

"Fuck, that _hurt_," I complained, my hand automatically reaching to touch my head, where it had slammed into the display case. My vision blurred for a second before I could make out Benny, who was standing in front of me.

"You could've hurt her," Benny hissed, and he sounded angrier than I'd ever heard him. "What the fuck is your problem?"

Sam was holding a knife, and I stared in terror, automatically wrapping my arms around Benny. He just placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, his eyes meeting Dean's from where he was standing in Sam's way.

"I could have hurt her?" Sam asked, a dry laugh in his voice. "Says the man- monster that could slit her throat in seconds."

"Benny," I asked again, my voice shaking. I couldn't get to my phone; it was in the storage room. "What's going on?"

"Sam, I think you need to go outside." Dean suggested, but his tone was anything but asking. "Now."

Castiel walked up to me, showing his hands to Benny before gently touching the back of my head. The headache eased, and suddenly the pain was gone and I just blinked at Castiel.

"Somebody tell me what the _fuck_ is going on." I decided, despite the fear that felt like it was squeezing my chest.

Dean raised an eyebrow at Benny, and Benny just sighed, pulling my arms from around his waist, and sitting me in a chair. I just looked at the three of them, waiting.

"Sam has an issue with Benny," Dean explained, as he sat down next to me. "He doesn't like vampires."

"Vampires?" I questioned, looking at Dean a little closer. "Are you okay? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

Benny snickered at my reaction and I smacked his arm. Dean just rolled his eyes and mumbled something that sounded suspiciously close to "old married couple".

"He's not lying," Benny told me, grabbing my hand and bringing it to his mouth. I raised an eyebrow at him, before I felt the sharp prick of his teeth.

"Holy shit," I realized, yanking my hand back as the truth sank in. "Wait, if he's a vampire, what the hell are you?"

"Angel," Castiel responded as if it were normal and I glanced at Benny for confirmation. He nodded.

"And Dean, you are?" I wondered aloud.

"Sammy and I are hunters."

"Hunters? You hunt…what exactly?" I questioned.

"Demons, monsters, things like that." He answered. My grip tightened on Benny's wrist.

"You're not here to kill him, are you? I can't let you do that." My words kind of blurred together as I realized how much danger I could actually be in right now.

"No, he's a friend," Benny promised. "I helped him out, so we called a truce. As long as I don't feed on humans."

I sighed in relief, leaning my head against Benny's arm and willing my heart to slow down. I could see Sam pacing in front of the bakery, wearing a bitchy expression. Castiel followed my line of sight, and with a flapping sound, he was standing outside and I was left staring at the place where he had been standing.

"Don't worry about Cas, he does that a lot. Having tact isn't exactly his strong suit." Dean offered, before looking at Benny. "I didn't realize that you'd be up this far north."

"I'm still in the South, Dean." Benny admonished with a smile him. "What are y'all doing in Alabama anyway?"

"A case of werewolves down in a little town named Dothan. The sheriff's department wasn't even big enough to have a building." Dean shrugged. "We were headed back north and heard this bakery was the best for several miles."

"Oh," I realized.

"We heard right. That was the best pie I'd had in years." Dean assured me.

"I might have one you can take with you," I voiced, thinking about what I had in the refrigerator. "You and Sam can share it."

Apparently the inflection in my voice was enough for Dean to recognize, and he rolled his eyes. Benny looked like he was trying not to laugh.

"Why does everyone think that I'm gay with Sam?" Dean exclaimed, frustrated. "He's my brother."

"Sorry," I smiled at Benny's snicker. "Let me see if I have that pie."

Heading back into the large refrigerator, I pulled out the mixed berry pie I'd made for Ms. Salas that lived down the street from me. I had leftover filling in the refrigerator also, so I preheated the oven on the way back to the café.

Stopping short, I stared at the scene in front of me. Benny was speaking quietly to Dean, his hand resting on Dean's hip. Dean looked like he was starting to argue, but Benny leaned over and kissed the words off Dean's mouth. I couldn't stop the smile that crossed my lips. I knew that Benny had been missing someone in his life, and now I knew who. Dean pulled back from Benny, smiling at him before resting his head on Benny's shoulder.

I gave them a minute before walking back into the dining area. Benny smiled happily at me, his arms still wrapped tightly around Dean. Dean stiffened in his arms as he saw me, but Benny murmured softly in his ear, the words carrying as I set the pie on the table.

"Chloe doesn't care, Dean," He murmured, and I nodded in agreement before giving him a soft smile.

"I'm not that kind of Southerner Dean," I promised him, and turning to Benny. "Besides, I knew that Benny was pining over someone all this time."

"Shut your mouth, Chloe," Benny responded, glaring at me.

"Always looking out the window," I continued teasing. "Double checking the Impalas he saw on the street."

Benny gave me a gentle shove, barely loosening his grip from Dean's waist. "You know I'm only here for the cooking."

"Love you too, Benny." I promised, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "I'm going to talk to Sam."

"Chloe-"

"Don't try to stop me. He needs to know that I'm not angry with him. He was just trying to protect me." I insisted. "He thought you were going to bite me, Benny. I need to talk to him."

Benny just frowned at me, and I ignored his look, heading outside and sitting on the bench next to Sam. Castiel gave me a soft smile and then he was gone with the sound of flapping wings.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey, I know that you were just trying to help." I offered quietly. Sam was silent and I hesitantly reached a hand out to touch his. "I don't blame you. I don't really know the story, but Benny won't hurt your brother."

"I know that." He answered just as quietly. "It's not my brother that I'm worried about. He's a vampire. He has to drink blood eventually."

"He never did anything to make me feel uncomfortable." I told Sam. "I'm serious. He never made me feel scared."

Sam nodded, "I'm sorry that you got hurt. I just saw him near you neck and I was pretty sure that he hadn't told you what he was."

"I appreciate it, Sam." I insisted. "Can I ask how they know each other?"

Sam sighed, a troubled look crossing his face. I then realized the problems that my question could have caused.

"Dean told you about monsters right?"

"Benny isn't-" I started, before glancing at Sam. "You mean in general."

"Yes. Vampires aren't the only things that exist. All of them do, everything that you've read about and more."

"Wait, demons?" I questioned, remembering that Dean had mentioned them earlier.

"Yeah, they take the bodies of humans." Sam told me regretfully. "Everything you can think of exists, Chloe. Angels, demons, ghosts, vampires, werewolves, witches, and warlocks,"

"Heaven and hell?" I asked fearfully.

"Yes. Lucifer walked the Earth about four years ago." Sam revealed and I sucked in a breath.

"Holy shit." I breathed.

"Dean was sucked into Purgatory last year. Benny got him out."

"Purgatory? The in-between?"

"Where monsters go when they die," Sam corrected. "Dean was stuck there and we had no way of helped him from this side."

"So Benny helped him from the inside and he brought Benny with him in exchange?"

"Yes."

"Wow." I glanced back inside to see Benny and Dean still sitting at the table, their heads close together as they spoke. "Why-"

"I didn't try to help Dean," Sam blurted, his face dark. "I-I settled down and lived a normal live. I even found someone because that's what Dean and I decided to do. We decided long before Lucifer walked the Earth, that if something happened, when Dean went to Hell, when I was locked in the Pit that the other would move on."

"Sam…" I started, but he continued on, the anguish in his face even more present.

"He was locked in Purgatory, and there was no way for me to find him. I didn't know what it was like, just that he was gone. I thought I was doing the right thing, but I wasn't. I let him down, I let Kevin down, and now everything is just-"

"Sam." My voice was sharp and he stopped mid-sentence, looking over at me. "You can't blame yourself."

"He's my brother. I should have gone to the ends of the Earth and back to find him, and I didn't even look for him." Sam sounded absolutely miserable, and I rested a hand on his knee.

"You _can't_ blame yourself." I stressed to him, my voice cracking a little as I thought of Caroline. "Sam, blaming yourself will do nothing but make you crazy."

He heard the change and frowned at me. "You lost someone?"

"My little sister," I told him, my voice dropping to a whisper, despite the fact that it had happened almost fifteen years ago. "I turned my head for a second and she was running into the street after our kitten."

"Chloe-"

"_**I**_ was supposed to watch her, Sam. All I did was lean down to tie my shoe and she was gone."

The scene was still imprinted in my mind; our little cookie cutter house in Huntsville, Alabama, the screech of the tires, the thud of my shoes as I screamed out for her.

"I have replayed that moment over and over again, Sam. I should've been a better sister, a better daughter than that. I should have watched her closer. My parents never said it, but they blamed me for the rest of their lives."

"They- they're gone too?" He inquired.

"Yeah. My mom committed suicide about a year after Caroline died and my dad died in a DUI crash only five years after her." I explained, pretending not to notice as Sam did the math. "I never went to college, and ran away before they could put me in the foster care system. I ended up here in Mountain Brook."

Sam looked stunned, but didn't say anything, as he absorbed what I'd told him.

"You got a second chance with your brother, Sam. Don't waste it."

Standing, I headed back into the bakery to put Ms. Salas' new pie in the oven, since I gave hers to Dean. Sam was still sitting outside in deep thought when I glanced back and Benny winked at me from over Dean's head as they continued to talk. My dinner customers should be coming in soon, and I was grateful for the afternoon break that Benny and Katie had convinced me to start earlier.

"We have company?" Katie asked, startling me out of my thoughts.

"Friends of Benny's," I explained to her, as I started a fresh pot of coffee and turned on the ovens.

"Oh, okay," She shrugged. "I'll get the tea going."

"Thanks," I called, as I switched our menus to the opposite side and stretched. I hadn't intended to talk about Caroline with Sam at all. I hadn't told anyone about her in years. Her birthday would be in a few weeks and no one in Mountain Brook ever questioned the specialty purple flower cookies that happened that day.

"We've got to head out." Dean announced, his eyes never leaving Benny's. "Sam and I will definitely swing through here the next time."

"No problem." I smiled. "It was nice to meet you, all of you."

"You too, Chloe." Dean headed outside and Benny followed him, as predicted, turning on the "open" sign as he walked out the door.

Sam came back inside a few minutes later, holding a small piece of paper.

"What's this?"

"My number," He offered, quietly. "If you ever need anything, call us. And Chloe, I'm really sorry about what happened to your sister."

"Thank you." I offered, pressing a kiss to his cheek and watching as he walked out the front door, as my first dinner customer wondered in. Taking a deep breath, I smiled, greeting them and letting the worries fade.


End file.
